Thursday, November 27, 2014

As the United States faces both challenges and opportunities, especially in light of the recent events, I wanted to remind everyone of this origin of this national celebration. It came from President Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War, and he asked that we give thanks "with one heart and one voice" for the "gracious gifts of the Most High God." I share his words below.

Let us give thanks for our families, our friends, our communities and our country; but let us also embrace the challenges we face as a nation and know that at LegalShield, what we do will make a difference -- "To provide equal access to the Liberty, Equality, Opportunity and Justice that every North American deserve and expect."

May God bless and keep you, Jeff

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A Proclamation: October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United Stated States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

About Me

Jeff Bell was named Chief Executive Officer of LegalShield in July, 2014, the leading provider of legal services in 49 states and 4 Canadian Provinces with over 700 employees and 300,000 sales associates. Most recently, Jeff Bell was the COO of vRide, a TPG Growth portfolio company, where he oversaw the development of a consumer facing technology platform, and the installation of new ERP systems, all leading to of top-line revenue growth. Previously, Mr. Bell had been the Corporate Vice President, Global Marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business (Xbox), for Microsoft Inc. He also served as Vice President of the Chrysler and Jeep Divisions.

Mr. Bell serves on the Board of NCT Ventures LLC, and as Chairman of the Board of DOmedia LLC. He also is a member of the Board of Advisors for Nimia. In the past few years, Mr. Bell served as a Senior Advisor to MXM, and Organic, Inc., both leading digital agencies, and to the President of NBC Marketing.

At Microsoft, Bell oversaw all Xbox marketing. He joined the company in 2006, and under his leadership, the Xbox had its first profitable year in 2007. He expanded Xbox Live to include Netflix, as well as launching the video games "Halo 3," "Gears of War," and "Rock Band," to name a few. He received the prestigious 2008 Titanium Lion at the Cannes Advertising Awards for Halo 3. In 2005, Jeff received the Advertising Age Award for “Interactive Marketer of the Year,” & was named the AdAge "Entertainment Marketer of the year" in 2007.

Bell honed his skills during his time at Chrysler and Ford, where he rose through the ranks. He was instrumental in turning around the Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler brands with “That Thang Gotta Hemi,” the Chrysler 300, “Stow ‘n Go” minivan and Jeep 4-door Wrangler launches.

Mr. Bell earned a B.A. degree in history & Spanish from Kenyon College in 1984, a M.A. from Johns Hopkins in 1988, and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School in 1989. He and his wife have three sons.